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Senate passes HRVA Regional Coastal Resiliency Authority bill

Posted at 2:12 PM, Feb 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-19 15:39:15-05

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Senate passed Senate Bill 397, which would establish a HRVA Regional Coastal Resiliency Authority.

The Senate passed the bill 24-Yes to 16-No on Monday, February 12, 2017.

The bill that was passed will help with addressing coastal resiliency and flooding adaptation, according to Virginia Senator Lynwood Lewis.

This legislation that had bi-partisan support was brought to the floor of the Virginia Senate by Senator Lynwood in response to coastal flooding issues that have affected Virginia.

“We also passed SJ21 and SB219, a constitutional amendment to allow localities to implement a property tax abatement for individuals or businesses that undertake efforts on their real estate to mitigate recurrent flooding. If this passes the House, it will be on the ballot in 2018 and Virginia voters will be given the opportunity to pass the measure,” said Senator Lewis in a Facebook post.

The Senate is looking to also establish a special assistant that will work with the Governor, plus academics and economic authorities, to find solutions to problems that flooding can cause for Virginia’s coastal region.

The Hampton Roads Coastal Resiliency Authority act has an enactment clause delaying the effective date until two-thirds of the participating localities join the Authority, according to information on Virginia’s Legislative Information System.

The attached Facebook post from Senator Lynwood Lewis provides even further detail into legislation that is being introduced and passed in relation to coastal flooding in Virginia.